DreamWorks and Pixar Movies Promote Veganism

In my previous post titled Disney Films Promote Veganism, I discussed the various ways in which Bambi, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Fox and the Hound, Dumbo and various other Disney films all follow animal rights related themes. Disney is not the be all and end all of pro-vegan films for children, however. Many similar and equally effective films also exist, instead under the names of DreamWorks and Pixar. In this post, I will discuss those films in detail.

"These movies are not propaganda - they are simply aimed at young children, as most young children understand that animals are friends, not food."

In 2013, a film called Free Birds was released. Free Birds is not a DreamWorks or Pixar production, but rather a similarly styled CGI film made by a lesser-known company called Reel FX Creative Studios. It wasn't the best movie by any means. It holds a dissatisfying 5.9/10 rating on IMDB, and I personally found it outstandingly mediocre. I did, however, appreciate the message the film portrayed. The film follows a group of turkeys who travel back in time in an attempt to remove themselves from the Thanksgiving menu - thankfully, they succeed. For me, it's always satisfying to see films shown from an animal's point-of-view. This message, however, didn't hold up well with a few other IMDB users. Scrolling through the Free Birds IMDB boards, I found several posts screaming 'Free Birds is vegan propaganda!", "Did PETA make this film?!"... you get the drift. All of this seemed strange to me, since I'd never seen anyone else complain in such a way about the abundance of other films (such as those made by Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks) that project a similar message. These movies are not propaganda - they are simply aimed at young children, as most young children understand that animals are friends, not food. I believe we should all watch these films again as teenagers and as adults. They really could teach us a thing or two about showing love, respect and sympathy towards all life - an important value that, unfortunately, many adults seem to lack.

Madagascar 

Moral: Animals don't belong in zoos

Madagascar follows the lives of four zoo-dwelling animals - a zebra, a lion, a giraffe and a hippo. The moral message is quite clear here - the animals are out of place in the zoo, which is situated smack-bang in the middle of the hustle and bustle of New York City. Instead, the animals belong in the wide open expanses of the wild. In captivity, their lives are dull, repetitive and sheltered. Because of light pollution, they see nothing but endless darkness when they gaze up at the night sky. Instead of the melodic ambiance of natural wildlife, they hear manufactured reverberations from a radio. The zebra, Marty, knows this is not how life should be. When the four animals are rescued from the zoo by a group of animal rights activists, plans are made to ship them to a sanctuary in Africa. Along the way, however, their crates topple from the boat into the ocean, eventually washing up on the shores of an exotic island country known as Madagascar. Here, the animals meet new friends and eventually realise that, despite the extra work involved, life in the wild is much better than life in captivity could ever be. This film teaches us that zoos, regardless of how 'well' the animals are treated, are not the place for wild creatures.

Chicken Run

Moral: Animals farming is cruel

Like many children's films with animal rights themes, the humans in Chicken Run are depicted as evil and sadistic. This, unfortunately, isn't far from the truth. Many farm owners care only about making the greatest profits - they extend absolutely no care or compassion towards 'their' animals. This film depicts chicken farming in the most realistic way ever shown in mainstream cinema. The chickens, for example, are expected to lay several eggs daily in order to keep up with supply demands. Some chickens have attempted to escape from the horror, unable to deal with the pressure of laying egg after egg any longer. Shockingly, yet realistically, one hen is slaughtered and eaten after going several days without producing any eggs. Soon, when profits begin to dwindle, the farmers decide to begin selling chicken pies instead of eggs - much to the animal residents' collective horror. They consequently devise a calculated plan for escape, and eventually succeed. This film encourages the idea that animals do not want to and do not deserve to be killed and eaten. They are as equally deserving of respect, freedom and happiness as any human.

Finding Nemo

Moral: Fish are friends, not food

Finding Nemo explores the story of some of the world's most misunderstood and under-appreciated creatures - fish. For some reason unknown to me, fish are often seen as less deserving of freedom, love and respect than land-dwelling animals. They are killed and eaten by the billions each year. Perhaps this is because of the unusual sentiment that fish don't feel pain (an idea that has been debunked many times). In this 2003 Pixar film, we finally see the world from the point of view of these fascinating creatures. Like Madagascar, this film touches on the concept of animal confinement. Somewhere along his journey, Nemo finds himself trapped in a small fish tank in a dentist's office. On finding out that he will soon be given to a young girl to keep as a pet, he desperately attempts escape. The film also explores the concept of mass fishing. Fishing boats are Nemo's father's biggest fear, and he forbids Nemo from going anywhere near them. In this way, we see these unfortunate fish as individuals, and are exposed to their suffering at the hands of the greed of humankind.

Nemo is a friend, not food

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

Moral: Horses deserve to run free

This film follows the life and trials of a headstrong horse named Spirit. This film revolves strongly around the theme of humanity's greedy, violent nature. During the film, Spirit is captured and taken to a US cavalry post where he sees restrained horses being ridden and used by humans. Understandably, Spirit is frightened and confused by this behaviour, believing that the restrained horses are being used as slaves. When a man known as the Colonel tries to tame and ride Spirit, he refuses and is harshly punished by being tied to a post for three days with no food or water. After many attempts to tame and ride Spirit, and many battles, the humans finally acknowledge that Spirit and his friends shall never be tamed, and they are set free. This concept reinforces the idea that horses are not transport devices or slaves. They were not put on this earth to serve humankind - they exist for their own reasons and deserve freedom.

"Animals do not want to and do not deserve to be killed and eaten. They are as equally deserving of respect, freedom and happiness as any human."

The form films listed above are only some of many. Look to Disney (as detailed in my other post), Warner Bros., and Blue Sky Studios for various other examples of films that promote animal rights. Through these films, I learned many important moral lessons as a child. These morals are still embedded strongly in my mind to this day. Unfortunately, for some people, these important morals wear off as time goes on. People fall victim to the malevolent influences of our greedy, callous and money-hungry society. We need only to look back to these films to remember what we may have forgotten - something that all children understand. Animals are here for their own reasons, not for our use. They are not ours to eat, to capture or to wear. They are our friends, and we should treat them as such.

Disney Movies Promote Veganism

If you lived out your childhood during any period beyond 1923, it's almost undeniable that Disney films have influenced your life in one way or another. Whether it was Dumbo who won over your young heart in the 1940s or Mufasa who taught you about the circle of life in the 1990s, we've all felt Disney's magical charm in some way.

Over the years, Disney movies have consistently touched on the concept of animal rights. They have almost invariably shunned humankind, highlighting our species as the destructive, selfish virus it collectively is. On the other hand, however, Disney has sanctioned the few human beings with love and compassion in their hearts - the few who truly care about animals.

"Disney movies have consistently touched on the concept of animal rights. They have almost invariably shunned humankind, highlighting our species as the destructive, selfish virus it collectively is."

Veganism is the basic expression of support for animal rights. Through veganism, we encourage the idea that non-human animals are sentient beings who experience love, fear, pain, and an expansive range of other complex emotions. They are not mere commodities for humans to use at their disposal. Many would argue that Disney 'anthropomorphises' animals in their films - but I disagree. I see the term 'anthropomorphise' as a fabricated extension of speciesist logic. To me, this term implies that any animal showing signs of emotion or personality must be somewhat human, as if emotion and personality are human-only characteristics. As animal lovers know, this is not the case. Animals express their emotions in different ways to humans, yes - but that does not mean the feelings aren't there at all.

In this post, I will discuss the various important moral lessons I learned through Disney films - lessons that many people, unfortunately, have forgotten with age. Disney taught me to love all life regardless of our differences. I think, as adults, we should all look back to Disney films and remember how we felt as children. Children know intrinsically that animal are friends, not food. That's why so many children love to watch movies and television programmes about animals. I mean, would a little kid want to eat Peppa Pig? Shawn the Sheep? Peter Rabbit? No, of course not! Would they want to hunt Bugs Bunny? Ellie the Elephant? Fantastic Mr. Fox? Again, of course not. Disney knows this. Disney understands children, and accordingly, they understand animals - at least, more than most do. Let's begin.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Moral: The fur trade is Cruella and fur-wearers are De Vils

Perhaps one of the most obvious animal-rights-promoting Disney films, One Hundred and One Dalmatians tells the story of an evil woman (Cruella De Vil, by name and by nature) who wants to make a fur coat out of puppies. This is a prime example of Disney's expression of human beings as cruel and selfish, and conversely, of animals as intelligent, compassionate and loving. This film teaches us that wearing fur is all kinds of wrong, and that anyone who does so is indeed a 'Cruel Devil'. The film elaborates strongly on the concept of hell, which is fair in the sense that a fur farm is indeed a living hell for animals. This may all seem rather morbid, but it's the unfortunate truth. As all Disney films tend to do, the horror comes to an end before the film's finale and the pups are fortunately reunited with their families. If only this was the case for the millions of animals who fall victim to the fur trade.


Bambi

Moral: Hunters are horrid, deforestation is dreadful

This is another fairly obvious one, and the film that has consistently held the greatest moral influence over me ever since my first viewing. I will never forget the impact this film had on me as a child. At six years old, I was a weeping wreck after watching it. This wasn't long after I became vegetarian, and as such, the film tugged strongly at my heartstrings. I was going through the process of realising exactly how humans treat animals, and it was awful. Back to the movie. In Bambi, we enter the beautiful, idyllic world of a nurturing young doe, her newborn son, and a strong-willed father stag. They live surrounded by various flora and fauna, all existing in glorious harmony, where enchanting music forever lingers in the dewy air. Suddenly, horribly, interrupting this beautiful, tranquil wonderland, comes man. Specifically, The Man in the Forest. Without a hint of remorse or compassion, The Man in the Forest murders Bambi's mother with his gun, leaving young Bambi frightened and despondent. Later on in the film, when tranquility has only just returned to the forest - The Man in the Forest returns. This time, he brings his greatest weapon - fire. This is a representation of a heinous act so common in our modern world - deforestation. Once again, what does all of this tell us? Animals are calm, gentle creatures, and humans are cold, callous and bent on destruction. Horrifyingly, this is all too accurate.

Disney movies can help children learn about the importance of protecting nature and animals

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The Fox and the Hound

Moral: All life is equal and sacred

Again, this 1981 story touches on the concept of hunting. Lying deeper, however, is the exploration of more complex, under-represented themes like interspecies friendship and speciesism. As in Bambi and One Hundred and One Dalmatians, the humans in this film are depicted as cruel, selfish and emotionally detached. Right from the get-go, we witness the callous shooting of a mother fox. As a direct result of evil human interjection, a mother is dead and a child is orphaned. Later in the film, we see a hunter attempting to raise a new hunting dog, Copper. Copper, however, doesn't want to hunt. He wants to play - with Tod, the orphaned fox. This, of course, angers the hunter, who cares only about himself. The idea of the hunter adopting Copper relates to the concept of speciesism - he sees foxes as pests, dogs as workers, and himself as a superior entity. He has assigned different roles to each animal based solely on their species - this is blatant speciesism. The idea of Tod and Copper becoming friends demonstrates that animals can form friendships (despite their differences... if only more humans could do the same) and experience love, fear, happiness and despair. As vegans, we are very much aware of this.

Dumbo

Moral: Animals don't belong in the circus

This film is slightly different to the previous three, but it still explores some core concepts - humans are cruel and selfish, animals experience emotion, and animals deserve respect. Through this film, children see the circus for what it truly is. They are finally allowed to see past the bright lights, flashy costumes and the exciting atmosphere. Behind all of this magical glory are dim, dark, dreary cages... cells... prisons. The elephants are confined against their will and exploited time and time again by humans. We see the spectators at the circus cruelly taunt and mock Dumbo, and as Dumbo's mother attempts to defend him, she is detained and placed in solitary confinement on the grounds of being a 'mad elephant.' Despite the all-too-true horrors this film highlights, the overall concept of Dumbo trying to become a 'circus star' isn't appealing to me. I suppose you can't expect much more from a 1941 film, though. Regardless, we still witness the mocking of Dumbo and his mother's unfair, terrifying confinement - which was enough to turn me off the circus for good as a child.

The Lion King 

Moral: The natural world is our most precious and beautiful gift

Although many non-vegans may see The Lion King as an anti-veganism film (you know, the old 'lions eat meat' argument), I heartily disagree. I think this film highlights the importance of equality for all life, and that the natural world is much more beautiful than anything humans have manufactured. It tells us that life moves on and repeats harmoniously without human interjection. Unfortunately, as we all know, humans have hugely thrown off this balance through the introduction of large-scale farming, habitat destruction, deforestation, over-breeding and mass pollution. Vegans seek to reverse or at least subdue humankind's negative effects upon the natural environment. This film reminds us of how beautifully balanced the world could be without the destructive, selfish interference of humankind. It tells us that no species is more important than another, and that we are all here for our own reasons. Again, this is the basis of veganism.

"[The Lion King] reminds us of how beautifully balanced the world could be without the destructive, selfish interference of humankind. It tells us that no species is more important than another, and that we are all here for our own reasons."

This is not all that Disney has shown us about animal rights. Look towards films such as Brother Bear, The Jungle Book and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for more. Other children's films, including several made by Pixar and Dreamworks, which I will be writing accompanying posts about, also touch on the same concepts. Many adults could learn from the lessons taught by these Disney films and others made by similar animation companies. We only need to look back at our former selves - our very young selves, when our hearts were pure and untouched by society's dirty hands. Then we will learn how we should really feel. Once, we all loved animals. To anyone who exploits animals now, I ask you - when did you lose your compassion?

[Image via www.publicdomainimages.net]